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For Kolu founder and CEO Alex Winkler, there was no better place in the world to build a company than Columbia, Missouri.

At just 24 years old, Alex has visited more than 25 countries. On a trip to Copenhagen, Alex came up with the idea for what would become Kolu, an app that matches travelers with local tour guides based on shared interests.

He brought the idea back to Mizzou, where he was majoring in international studies and business administration. He got support and mentorship through the Entrepreneurship Alliance and recruited a handful of other Mizzou students to join the Kolu team: Chief Product Officer Emily Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer Riley de León, Chief Operating OfficerMarin Meiners, iOS developer Evan Teters and content manager Grace Aragon-Menzel.

“Mizzou provided me opportunities to help turn a dream into a reality,” Alex said. “Mizzou allowed me to network and become friends with so many people who were as excited as I was to work on this project.”